Mayawati hosts dinner, Third Front leaders defer leadership isue

New Delhi, March 15 (IANS) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and Third Front leaders met over dinner here and discussed Lok Sabha elections strategies, but there was no decision on choosing her or any other leader as the prime ministerial candidate. Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), A.B. Bardhan of the Communist Party of India (CPI), H.D. Deve Gowda of the Jahata Dal-Secular (JD-S), K. Chandra Shekhar Rao of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, N. Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party and other leaders of the Third Front met Mayawati at her new residence on the Rakabganj Road here.

The dinner meet, focus of much political speculation over the weekend, began around 7.30 pm and lasted for about two hours.

However, at the end of it, the leaders refused to spell out the content of their discussions.

“All senior leaders discussed in detail the current political situation in the context of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. All leaders decided that we will together present a strong, thoroughly secular non-Congress-non-BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) alternative before the nation that will form the government after the elections,” Mayawati, Uttar pradesh chief minister, read out from a prepared statement.

“Our policies will be completely in the national interest, in the interest of people,” she said.

Mayawati as well as the Third Front leaders refused to answer mediapersons’ queries, including on the question of the alliance’s prime ministerial candidate.

Bardhan later said the front will have adjustment on some seats with the BSP.

Earlier in the day, Mayawati made it clear that her BSP will not ally with any party but will strike alliances after the polls.

The Third Front was launched by the four Left parties and six regional parties in Karnataka Thursday.